Marilu Henner's Blog, page 154

Meatless Monday recipe from Marilu's table * Evi's mango cream

Here's a cool, refreshing, and totally animal-free frozen dessert for a hot day. Bonus – you can make it in your Vitamix! Win one from Marilu!

Don't forget! Our Viva La Vegan class is now in session. If you want lots of vegan (animal-free) recipes, or are interested in finding out more about a plant-based diet, join the class! It's not too late.

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Evi's Mango Cream

Yellow * Serves 4

1 ripe mango

1 cup coconut milk

1/8 cup agave syrup (more to taste)

1 Tablespoon lime juice (or lemon juice)

Fresh mint leaves to decorate

Peel and chop mango. Place everything with exception of the mint leaves in a blender or food processor. Blend/mix until smooth. Place in small bowls or glasses and chill for at least two hours in the fridge. Decorate with mint leaves.

 

Viva La Vegan class starts today!

VIVA LA VEGAN starts today!

with Coaches JanB and VeganKyra (a dynamic vegan mother-daughter duo)

Become a member and take this amazing class!

Remember – if you and a friend join together, you can both enter the Vitamix drawing!

Or – refer a friend who joins, and you can enter.

Questions? Check here or email Mary Beth.

This class has loads of vegan recipes and info about vegan living! Download and print recipes, and get more recipes in class. Get help converting your favorite recipes to delicious vegan versions. Become a healthy vegan (not a potato chip vegan).

You don't have to be a vegan to take this class!

This is the place to ask your questions and get real answers from real people who have chosen veganism. Join Jan and Kyra and learn what it means to be a vegan, making the transition to veganism, living in a "mixed" (animal-free and animal-eating) family, and the challenges and rewards of being vegan.

Classes at Marilu.com are available free to all members. Just check your inbox on Monday for your daily email, log in to Marilu.com and get to class on the message boards. There's even a handy class page with all the resources and links you'll need for class.

Not a member? Sign up now and get a free class (sometimes two!) every month.

 

Spirit Sunday * Find joy

Photo by Katarzyna Lipińska

 

Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.

~ Albert Einstein

 

Marilu.com has a "Spirit Sunday" tradition. Take some time today to rest, to relax, to breathe. Enjoy a moment in nature, or a nap, or a yoga meditation, or a prayer. Just take a little time out.

 

Going meatless… gradually

We're getting ready for our Viva La Vegan class – which starts Monday!

Sign up now

and you'll be ready to go on Monday morning!

Sign up with a friend (or get a friend to sign up)

and enter each other in the drawing for a FREE Vitamix!

Details here.

The Viva La Vegan class is a great place to learn about veganism (animal-free eating and living), and it's for everyone. You don't need to be a vegan (or vegan-ish, or vegetarian, or any other label)… you just need to want to know more, and to want excellent recipes! Yes, eating less meat (or no meat) can be delicious.

Marilu recommends that we eat less animal protein as a way to lower our intake of saturated fats, avoid animal hormones and avoid environmental toxins. Red meat is especially difficult to digest, and is the easiest to cut out of your menus. Red meat is considered beef, pork, lamb, venison, etc. (Poultry and fish are not considered red meat, although you'll want to look for organic poultry and ocean fish.)

Eating less animal protein can be a gradual process. You don't have to change everything at once. Get used to new flavors and textures in your food at your own pace. (Class coaches Jan and Kyra will support you in this!)

Here is Marilu's chart for going meatless (from Total Health Makeover®, chapter 1).

BEGINNER * Allow yourself one portion of red meat or pork a day. This includes anything from a cow, pig or lamb. (Don't be fooled by those "other white meat" ads for pork. Pork is nearly as dense as beef.) Also, don't become Mr. Venison, either. Add more fish or chicken to your diet.

INTERMEDIATE * Limit your red meat and pork consumption to three times a week. Try to eat only free-range poultry and meat whenever possible.

ADVANCED * Eliminate all red meat and pork from your diet. Make sure your poultry is free-range and your fish is from unpolluted waters whenever possible. Experiment with vegetarian meals.

MAKEOVER MANIAC * Eliminate meat completely from your life. Even counting sheep is forbidden.

 

If you need some simple ideas to get started on a lifestyle that reduces or eliminates animal protein, try the following… and get to class on Monday!

Switch from red meat to poultry and fish.

Use poultry or fish as a compliment to the main dish, not as the main dish itself.

Prepare meatless meals that you are familiar with, such as bean burritos, pasta salads, and veggie stir-fries.

Transition by eating meat less frequently. Start with breakfasts that are meatless, then incorporate meatless lunches as well.

Substitute fresh vegetables for meat in recipes. Vegetarian chili made with Portobello mushrooms is excellent.

Try meat substitutes in moderation. Many supermarkets carry a variety of soy and grain alternatives to hamburger, hot dogs and lunch meats.

Try new types of cuisine. Many ethnic cuisines offer meat-free dishes; you may not miss the meat when you have new flavors to entice you.

 

Fitness Friday * Back it up

If standard crunches are starting to get old, give reverse crunches a try. They'll work your lower abs, which can be a problem area for women.

Lie on your back with your hands palm-down just beneath your buttocks and your back pressed flat to the floor.

Bend your knees, cross your ankles, and lift your legs up so your calves are at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.

Contract your lower abs, pulling your hips up off the floor a few inches and release. Exhale as you lift your bent knees toward your chest and keep your knees bent at the same angle throughout. The movement should be very small and controlled, using your abdominal muscles, not momentum, to lift your lower half off the floor.

Repeat two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, resting for 15 seconds between sets.

 

Fall 2011 classes at Marilu.com (plus, win a Vitamix!)

Every month at Marilu.com we have online classes – an opportunity for you to learn more about healthy living from Marilu and her hand-picked coaching staff.

Classes are included with your membership! Not a member? Sign up now!

Here's what you can look forward to for the rest of the year!

VIVA LA VEGAN * July 11-22, 2011

Mother-daughter Coaches Jan & Kyra bring us the facts and the fun about vegan (or vegan-ish) living. They've shown us that it's not about what you've eliminated…it's about the delicious things that you ADD to your plate. You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy this class.

HEALING PRACTICES * August 15-26 2011

Coach Robbie, an anthropologist, shares healing practices from around the world.

BACK TO BOOTY SCHOOL—EUROPEAN SEMESTER * September 2011

We're going "on location" (virtually) with Coach Evi to explore healthy living in Europe. Recipes, lifestyle and cooking tips from several different European countries…it's our own version of a semester abroad!

GRATITUDE * October 2011

As we prepare for the holidays, we get into a mindset of gratitude and abundance with Coach Robbie.

GLUTEN-FREE LIFE * October 2011

Coach Jill helps us understand the gluten-free life. If you have family or friends who are GF (for any reason), join us for recipes, cooking tips, and lifestyle tips.

HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS * November-December 2011

This class is your all-around holiday preparation and organization class with Coach Jan.

Become a member now and get all these classes!

How can you win the Vitamix?

Between now and July 11, all you need to do is get a friend to become a member (1-year membership), and you'll get TWO entries in the Vitamix drawing. That's TWO entries for every person who becomes a member on your recommendation (get two people to become members and you get FOUR entries, etc.).

1. Get your friends to sign up here for a 1-year membership.

2. Then send an email with your name and your friend's name

to Mary Beth.

That's all you have to do. Good luck!

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Jicama snack

Jicama is common in Latin American cuisine, but largely ignored elsewhere. It's too bad, because jicama is refreshing in the heat of the summer.

Look for a jicama that's relatively smooth and firm (no big dents or soft spots). Peel it with a vegetable peeler, then cut it into strips or cubes (kind of fancy), or, well, any shape.

Jicama has the texture of a raw potato, but it's sweeter, like an apple. It goes great with a marinade like this one, but it's good raw, too.

This snack keeps well, transports easily and is very tasty! You can also use it as a relish-style salad.

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Jicama Snack

Purple * Serves 6

1 large jicama

juice from 1 lime (or more)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Peel the jicama with a vegetable peeler and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Slice the rounds into 1/4-inch sticks, put them in a bowl, sprinkle with lime juice and toss with cilantro. Let the mixture set for a while before eating.

 

What do vegans eat for snacks?

In a world where meat and cheese and sugar dominate the snack food world (and that's if we leave out the chemicals, additives and preservatives), it can be a challenge to think about vegan snacks.

Jan and Kyra, our coaches for the Viva La Vegan class starting July 11, offer these suggestions.

Fresh fruit in season, including oranges, mangoes, kiwis, apples, ruby red grapefruit (Texas grapefruits are the sweetest), strawberries, grapes, etc.

Unsalted raw nuts or seeds, such as almonds, cashews, or peanuts – or try Brazil nuts, walnuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds

Crackers – just check that they're dairy-free and sugar-free, and avoid excess salt, as well – try Newman's Own Unsalted Pretzel Rounds

Dried fruit – try mango, blueberries, bananas, peaches, etc. as well as raisins, apricots, and apples

Dry cereal (no sugar)

Trail mix without added sugars – try Bear Naked trail mixes or make your own

Whole grain toast with peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (no salt, no sugar, freshly ground)

Raw veggies, like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, jicama, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper strips

Hummus makes a great dip, as does guacamole (make sure it has no sour cream, if you purchase it premade), but plain veggies are just as good

 

The Viva La Vegan class starts next Monday, July 11.

Members are automatically enrolled in the class. Just check your inbox for the class email on Monday.

Not a member? Join now and you'll be ready for class!

Find out how to win a $500 Vitamix!

 

Who makes your dreams come true?

You know the answer to this question.

You're the only one who can make your dreams come true. It's easy – and sometimes even fun – to put that responsibility on someone (or something) else, but you know in your heart that it's up to you.

So whatever your dreams, take action to make them happen.

Do something today to make your dream a reality. If your dream is a hot bod, then get up from your computer and commit to some exercise. If your dream is a long life, then make choices to improve your health, no matter your age. If your dream is a smaller dress size, then check your portion sizes and take the stairs. We know it's not always that simple, but you have to start somewhere.

While you think about your plan for today, get up and dance to this classic Hall & Oates song. We chose it because Marilu heard them in concert last night at the Hollywood Bowl – and it was played at a wedding we attended this weekend.

 

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/07 You Make My Dreams.mp3

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Amazon.com Widgets

 

Meatless Monday recipe from Marilu's table * Black bean pasta

One of our members combined Italian pasta with Mexican flavors for this delicious (and simple) vegan main dish.

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Northface's Black Bean Pasta

Blue * Serves 2-3

2 cups (4 ounces) uncooked radiatore (nugget) pasta

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chili spices (watch labels for sugar!)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bell pepper, cut into 2×1/4″ strips

Cook and drain pasta as directed. Meanwhile, heat tomatoes to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in pasta, beans, lime peel, cumin, and bell pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 2-3 min, stirring occasionally until hot. Taste and add more cumin, and salt and pepper, if desired.